Forum will educate public about dementia

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By Ami Ridling

Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

By Ami Ridling

Posted Sep. 16, 2013 at 9:06 AM

By Ami Ridling

Posted Sep. 16, 2013 at 9:06 AM

Yreka

The Fairchild Medical Center Foundation asks community members to mark their calendars for Thursday, Sept. 19, when the organization will host its second free health and wellness forum, titled, "Understanding Dementia and Strategies for Families and Caregivers."

The presentation will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist School. The school is at 346 Payne Lane in Yreka.

Guest speakers for this forum will be Joanne Harvey, a medical social worker, and Dr. Bruce Riger, Madrone Hospice medical director.

Riger has been working with patients afflicted with the dementia syndrome for 30 years.

"Dementia is a family disease," said Riger. It affects the whole family."

During the forum, he will describe the early warning signs of various forms of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's Disease, which accounts for 60 percent of dementia diagnoses. He said he will discuss the fact that a lot of people have some form of dementia for years before realizing they are experiencing the early warning signs of the syndrome.

"I hope to see a lot of people there and answer questions to provide some information on a disease that a lot of people do not realize they have," he said.

Harvey has worked in the geriatric field since 1990, and she has worked for hospice for six years.

Harvey said she will offer forum attendees practical tips on how to cope with a dementia diagnosis and how to form a team of family and friends to assist with the changes that a demented individual experiences.

She will discuss the bright points of this condition, such as the bonding a family experiences when coming together to support a loved one with dementia.

The forum will last between one and two hours and will include a question-and-answer period at the end.